Chinese scientists uncover groundbreaking method to extract abundant water from lunar soil

In a monumental leap forward for space research, Chinese scientists have unveiled pioneering methods to extract ample water from lunar soil following an analysis of samples retrieved by the country's Chang'e-5 mission, marking a major breakthrough which could revolutionize future moon missions and advance plans for a potential lunar base.

Researchers at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have formulated an innovative approach which would be capable of yielding up to 76 kilograms of water from around one ton of lunar soil, setting the stage for the establishment of future lunar research stations.

Their remarkable achievement was unveiled in the prestigious internationally peer-reviewed academic journal Innovations on Thursday.

"As we heated the titanium iron ore in lunar soil, anticipating the release of helium, we were instead astonished by the bubbles filling the screen," said Chen Xiao, one of the researchers.

Delving deeper, researchers discovered that lunar soil minerals, enriched over billions of years by solar wind exposure, harbor substantial hydrogen reserves. When subjected to high temperatures, hydrogen interacts with iron oxides within the minerals, yielding elemental iron and copious amounts of water. The lunar soil liquefies at temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, liberating water vapor produced during this transformative reaction.

Extensive analyses by the research team prove that this innovative water extraction method can generate approximately 51 to 76 milligrams of water from a single gram of lunar soil. By extrapolation, a ton of lunar soil can yield around 51 to 76 kilograms of water -- equivalent to over 100 bottles of 500 milliliters each -- capable of satisfying the daily hydration needs of 50 individuals.

While earlier investigations focused on identifying traces of water within lunar soil minerals, the scarcity of water content posed challenges for its extraction and application on the lunar surface. Consequently, experts say the exploration of novel lunar water resources and extraction methodologies will undoubtedly steer the course of future lunar exploration endeavors.

"This is a completely new method of water production. The naturally occurring water on the moon is typically between 0.0001 percent and 0.02 percent, making extraction incredibly difficult. Through this method, the water content we obtain can exceed 5 percent of the lunar soil weight, at least 250 times more than the natural water content. In the future, if we conduct research on the moon, we can utilize this method to meet the fundamental needs of human survival," said Wang Junqiang, another researcher at the Ningbo institute.

The work was completed thanks to the samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 probe, which returned to Earth in December 2020 after retrieving a total of 1,731 grams of primarily rocks and soil from the lunar surface.

This June, China's historic Chang'e-6 probe returned 1,935 grams of samples from the far side of the moon -- a first for mankind -- marking another milestone in the country's space exploration endeavors.

China has announced plans to realize a manned lunar landing by 2030 to carry out lunar scientific exploration and related technological experiments.

Chinese scientists uncover groundbreaking method to extract abundant water from lunar soil

Chinese scientists uncover groundbreaking method to extract abundant water from lunar soil

The 17th polio case of the year has been confirmed in Pakistan, with a child in Islamabad paralyzed by type 1 wild poliovirus.

The National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for Polio Eradication has launched a targeted vaccination campaign in districts where the virus has been detected and where the risk of continued transmission and spread remains high.

Health authorities have been warning about the continued presence of the virus in the environment. Since June, water samples from Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi have tested positive, highlighting the ongoing threat to children's health.

"We have developed clear coordination and communication channels with our provincial EOCs and district teams. We have had extensive consultative workshops with our high-risk districts to decide on and devise district improvement plans, what are remaining gaps and challenges that the program needs to overcome to move forward and interrupt the virus transmission that we're planning to do by mid-2025," said Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Eradication.

In September, a nationwide polio vaccination campaign was launched that is expected to target 115 districts and aims to vaccinate over 33 million children under the age of five.

"This September drive is a special campaign. It is targeting 73 percent of our target population, involving 286,000 polio workers that will knock on every door in the 115 districts that we have identified here," Farooq said.

Experts say these efforts to reach out to families as well as to provide a clean environment are crucial, especially in areas where the virus is still present.

"The Government of Pakistan and the partners will have to improve the essential immunization services so that we cater to the missed children. And then improve case-management of malnourished children, provide clean drinking water, appropriate sanitation and hygiene services at the community level, ensure accountability, implementation of the international staff at the international and national level," said Masood Khan Jogezai, Senior Technical Consultant for Polio Eradication.

Pakistan reports country's 17th polio case in Islamabad